ISRAEL'S RESPONSE TO UN DECISION ON PLO

(Communicated by Foreign Ministry Spokesman)

Israel totally rejects the decision by the United Nations General Assembly today (Tuesday) 7.7.98, granting the Palestine Liberation Organization additional privileges as an observer at the United Nations.

This decision creates a negative precedent and contradicts the principles of the peace process and the spirit of the Oslo Accords. Once again, the PLO is exploiting the United Nations on matters whose place is in bilateral negotiations. Israel calls on the PLO not to take unilateral actions in the international arena which would harm the peace process, and calls on the international community not abet such actions.

At the same time, the General Assembly's decision and its appendix do not change the status of the PLO as merely an observer organization within the UN apparatus.